Race Report – Ten Crucial Seconds

F12016 Hungarian GP Thursday Press Conference Friday Practice 1 Results Practice 1 Report Practice 2 Results Practice 2 Report Quotes Press Conference Photos Saturday Practice 3 Results Practice 3 Report Qualifying Results Qualifying Report Quotes Press Conference Photos Sunday Race Notes Race Results Race Incidents Race Report Quotes Press Conference Photos Ten Crucial Seconds

Lewis Hamilton, Hungarian GP 2016 

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By Dan Knutson in Budapest

The 2016 Hungarian Grand Prix lasted one hour, 40 minutes and 30.115 seconds, but the outcome of the race was decided in the first 10 crucial seconds, and in the first two corners.

Lewis Hamilton qualified second but his tailor-made start put him into the lead by the second corner, and from then on he was able to control the race on his way to victory.

“The start was everything,” Hamilton said. “I got a good start. I had one of the Red Bulls on the inside of me, so I was pressured quite a lot into Turn 1.”

Nico Rosberg had won the pole in a wild and wet qualifying session that ended in controversy as officials investigated if he had slowed sufficiently in the yellow flag zone created by Fernando Alonso spinning his McLaren. In the end, Rosberg was exonerated, and so he started from the pole.

But that pole advantage did not last long as Hamilton changed the face of the race in those first moments. Rosberg tried hard but second was the best he could do.

“It was down to the start in the end,” Rosberg said. “I lost out a little bit and then into Turn 1, with Daniel (Ricciardo) on the outside, Lewis (Hamilton) on the inside, I ran out of space, so I had to bail out of it. That was it really. I was happy to take Daniel back in Turn 2 and from then I was trying to put all the pressure possible on Lewis but of course it’s not possible to pass on this track.”

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo qualified third and finished third. That brought an end to the string of races where things have worked against him.

“It’s great to have another podium this year,” he said. “Obviously the first one (in Monaco) was a bit bittersweet, but this one I can definitely enjoy and for sure the smile’s back. Super happy to be here today. It’s three years in a row I’ve been on the podium at this circuit.”

When the red lights went off to start the 70 lap race, Hamilton beat Rosberg into Turn 1 to take the lead. Ricciardo briefly got into second place and then first, but fell back to third ahead of his teammate. Max Verstappen. Hamilton was on the move, and after two laps he had a 1.4 second lead over Rosberg.

Sebastian Vettel qualified his Ferrari fifth and stayed fifth while Alonso passed Carlos Sainz (Toro Rosso) to take sixth place.

While things settled down at the front, further back Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) was moving on up. He started 14th and was soon in 11th behind the Haas of Esteban Gutierrez.

Meanwhile, officials gave Jenson Button a drive through the pits penalty for receiving an unauthorized radio communication. The McLaren crew had radioed him and told him not to shift gears.

“So the brake pedal going to the floor isn’t classed as a safety issue? That’s quite interesting. I think someone needs to read up on the regulations,” Button said over the radio.

Hamilton was easing away from Rosberg. The gap was 2.5 seconds on lap 12. Rosberg in turn was 3.3 seconds ahead of Ricciardo who in turn was 1.5 seconds in front of Verstappen.

Vettel pitted at the end of lap 14, switching from the super soft to the soft Pirelli slicks. He came out just in front of Raikkonen. Ricciardo pitted one lap later and did the same. He came out ahead of Vettel who was eighth.

Hamilton stopped at the end of lap 16 as did Verstappen. The latter came out behind Raikkonen.

Rosberg led lap 16 and pitted at the end of lap 17, and Hamilton retook the lead. Ricciardo was back in third, but …

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